Fayemi lays foundation of ‘legacy projects’

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday laid the foundation of five “legacy projects” in commemoration of his second anniversary in office.

The projects are the new Government House; the Governor’s Office; the State Pavilion, the Samsung Engineering Academy and the Civic Centre.

Four of them will be funded through the N20 billion Bond obtained by the state from the capital market earlier in the year and would be completed by end of next year.

Fayemi said his administration is committed to transforming the state, so that it can become a choice destination for all.

Justifying the new Governor’s Office, Fayemi said the current Governor’s Office was originally designed as a hotel by the administration of former Governor Niyi Adebayo.

He said the office is far from the State Secretariat and the distance affects communication in governance.

Fayemi said the legacy projects were envisioned to be “timeless”, both in concept and aesthetic.

He said the old Ado-Ekiti Prison site was chosen as the location of the 7000 sq metre Civic Centre and Museum to preserve the remains of the old prison, which was demolished in April.

The Civic Centre will house a museum, amphi-theatre, events centre and library.

Fayemi said it would attract tourists and create jobs.

At the Government Technical College, Ado-Ekiti, where the foundation of the Samsung Engineering Academy was laid, the governor said the gesture was the manifestation of the Memorandum of Understanding between his administration and Samsung in Seoul, South Korea.

He said the academy, which will be wholly funded by Samsung, would promote e-learning in schools, as well as repair and maintain computers.